Fish cleaner



Jan. 19, 1965 H, c. TEETOR ETAL 3,165,779

FISH CLEANER Filed April 26, 1962 INVENTOR Herm-an/ C. feei'or; D0;L'a5jpjzi ozd 15 B 4% 16 J i! 7 a @9 United States Patent 3,165,779 FISHCLEANER I Herman C Teeter and David Teeter, both Perfect (Iircle Corp,552 S. Washington St., Hagerstown, Ind. Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No190,407 7 Claims (Cl. 17-8) Still another object is to provide a fishcleaner'hav-- ing means for firmly holding a fish in aconvenient posi-.tion for cleaning.

A further object is to provide a novel clamp for holding a fish while itis being cleaned. 1

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying figures of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fish cleaner embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the fish cleaner; FIG. 3 is a sideelevational view of the fish cleaner; FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectionalView taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Generally, a fish cleaner embodying the invention comprises a hollowtank and a clamp secured to the tank to hold the fish on the uppersurface of the tank. A hose is coupled to the tank and, when the deviceis to be used, the hose is connected to a suitable water outlet and thetank is filledwith water. An indentation formed along one edge of theupper surface has a series of small holes formed near its bottom, out ofwhich water flows onto and across the upper surface. The water in thetank serves both to hold the tank in place due to its weight and to washthe fish during the cleaning operation. The tank is shaped to cause thewater to flow around the fish and oif one end of the upper surface.

The clamp holds the fish in place on the upper surface of the tank whileit is being cleaned. This clamp comprises a pivotally mounted clampingmember having teeth at one end for holding the tail of a fish. A rolleris positioned underneath the other end of the clamping member andadapted to pivot the clamping member to either grip the fish or releaseit.

In greater detail, the fish cleaner comprises a tank, indicatedgenerally by the numeral 10, and a clamp, indicated generally by thenumeral 11, mounted on an upper cleaning surface 12 of the tank 10. Thetank 10 includes a rectangular imperforate bottom plate 13, FIGS. 3, 4and 5, and an upper cover 14 of inverted dished form. The plate 13 andthe cover 14 are preferably made of a relatively rigid corrosionresistant material such as plastic or fiber glass. The cover 14 alongits lower edge is provided with an outturned flange 15 which is securedto the plate 13 by a suitable process, such as heating and pressing, toprovide a fluid tight connection between the cover and the plate. Aplurality of holes 16 may be formed through the flange 15 and plate 13for the purpose of securing the tank to a bench when a permanentinstallation is desired. The cover 14 is also provided at one end with ahose coupling 18 which is adapted to be connected to a suitable waterhose.

3,165,779 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 "ice the cover is formed with anupstanding ridge indicated generally by the numeral 23.

The clamp 11 comprises two-mounting brackets 25 secured to the cover 14,as by suitable rivets or nut and bolt combinations 26; A cylinder 27,preferably made of wood, is rotatably mounted off center on'a mountingshaft 23, FIG. 5, and a handle 29 secured to the cylinder 27 extendssubstantially radially outward from the cylinder. Also tiltably mountedon a pin 31 between the two mounting brackets 25 is a clamping member30in the form of a channel with the pin 31 extending through the flangesof the channel. One end of the clamping member 30 is positioned over thesurface of the cylinder 27, and the web of the channel at the other endof the member 30 is provided with a plurality of downwardly extendingteeth 32. When the handle 29 and the cylinder 27, which form a cam, areturned in the counterclockwise direction to the solid line position ofFIG. 5, the increasing distance from the pin 31 to the surface of thecylinder at the point of contact with the clamping member due to therise in the cam raises the adjacent end of the clamping member andcauses the teeth 32 to move downwardly. When the handle 29 and cylinder27 are turned in the clockwise direction, as shown in dotted lines inFIG. 5, the line of contact of the cylinder with the adjacent end of themember 3% permits the latter to pivot to the dotted line position ofFIG. 5.

When the handle 29 is swung to this position, it engages the adjacentend of the member 30 to force it downwardly and thus move the teeth 32out of clamping engagement with the fish. The clamping member 30 ispreferably mounted sufliciently closeto the cylinder 27 that the line ofcontact between these two members is always above a line drawn betweenthe pin 31 and the longitudinal center line of the cylinder 27, so thatthe end of the clamping member adjacent the cylinder 27 cannot slidedownwardly past the cylinder.

To clean a fish using the fish cleaner, the tank 10 is positioned on astand adjacent a water outlet and a suitable receptacle. FIG. 1 showsthe fish cleaner on a counter of a kitchen sink 35 with the end of thetank having the coupling 18 over the bowl of the sink. A hose 36 isconnected between the coupling 18 and a water faucet 37, and the tank 10is filled with water. As soon as the tank is full, water flows upwardlyout of the holes 22 in the indentation 21 and onto the cleaning surface12. Due to the slope of the cleaning surface 12, the water spreadsacross the cleaning surface 12 and the ridge 23 causes it to flow offthe tank at the end positioned over the bowl of the sink. The faucet 37is preferably adjusted to maintain a sheet of water over the cleaningsurface 12. By placing the water outlet holes 22 at the bottom ofindentation, the danger of water shooting upwardly in the event thewater pressure in the tank is too great is virtually eliminated becausethe,indentation becomes filled with water which slows down the waterissuing from the holes 22. Further, the indentation causes the water toflow onto the cleaning surface throughout its entire length, rather thanonly in the area of each hole.

Thereafter, a fish to be cleaned is placed on the cleaning surface 12with its tail under the teeth 32 of the a clamp. The handle 29 is thenturned to the left as seen in FIG. 5 to cause the teeth 32 to engage thetail as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The clamping member 30 is mountedsuificiently high on the mounting brackets 25 that the teeth 32 slanttoward the brackets 25 so that the teeth have a firm hold on the tailand prevent the tail from being pulled out of the clamp. While the fishis being cleaned the water flowing around it washes the fish and carriesaway debris. The water in the tank also holds the fish cleaner firmly inplace due to its weight whfle its being used. After the fish is cleanedthe handle 29 is turned to the right until it engages the adjacent endof the clamping member 30 and causes the latter to rotatecounterclockwise and release the fish. When all the fish are cleaned thehose 36 is disconnected and the water inside the tank 19 is drainedthrough the coupling 18.

If desired, the clamp 11 may be mounted on a different cleaning surfacesuch as a stationary wooden bench. This clamp is advantageous because itis rugged and all parts are accessible so that they may be easilycleaned. Further, the cylinder 27 and the handle 29 cause the clampingmember 30 to either engage and hold the fish or to release the fish. Inaddition, the weight of the handle 29 when turned to the right as seenin FIG. 5 holds the clamping member 36 with the teeth 32 raised, makingit easier to position a fish in the clamp 11.

We claim:

1. A fish cleaner comprising a hollow tank adapted to be filled withwater and having a substantially flat outer cleaning surface, means forcoupling the interior of said tank to a water outlet for filling saidtank with water, said tank having an elongated indentation formedtherein adjacent said cleaning surface and having a plurality of holesformed therethrough adjacent the bottom of said indentation, saidcleaning surface sloping downwardly away from said indentation, and anupstanding ridge formed on said cleaning surface in spaced relation tosaid indentation, whereby water flowing from said holes is directed insheet form downwardly across said cleaning surface to said ridge fordischarge at one end of said cleaning surface.

2. A fish cleaner as in claim 1, wherein said cleaning surface isgenerally oblong, said indentation extends along and adjacent one sideof said surface, and said ridge extends along the other side of saidsurface and one end, whereby water flows off said cleaning surface atthe other end thereof.

3. A fish cleaner as in claim 2, wherein said coupling means is locatedadjacent said other end of said cleaning surface, whereby said cleanermay be placed on the counter of a sink with said coupling meansconnected to a faucet over the bowl of the sink and the water flowingoff said cleaning surface flows into the bowl of the sink.

4. A fish cleaner comprising a supporting member having an elongated,substantially flat upper cleaning sur face, said surface beingtransversely inclined, water discharge means arrange-d longitudinally ofsaid cleaning surface and including a plurality of holes adjacent theupper longitudinal edge of said surface, and means for delivering waterto said holes for discharge through said holes to flow in sheet formdownwardly across said transversely inclined surface.

5. A fish cleaner as in claim 4, and further including a clamp securedto said supporting member adjacent said cleaning surface for holding afish on said cleaning surface while it is being cleaned.

6. A fish cleaner as in claim 5, wherein said clamp comprises a clampingmember pivotally mounted intermediate its two ends, one of its endshaving downwardly extending teeth formed thereon for gripping a fishagainst said surface, a roller rotatably mounted ofi center adjacent toand underneath the other end of said clamping A member, and handle meanssecured to said roller for manually rotating said roller to cause saidroller to force said other end upwardly and said teeth downwardly togrip a fish.

7. A fish cleaner as defined in claim 4 wherein said water dischargemeans includes an elongated indentation formed in said cleaning surfaceadjacent said upper longitudinal edge thereof and having said pluralityof holes arranged longitudinally therein adjacent the bottom of saidindentation.

References (Iitcd in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

4. A FISH CLEANER COMPRISING A SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED,SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT UPPER CLEANING SURFACE, SAID SURFACE BEINGTRANSVERESELY INCLINED, WATER DISCHARGE MEANS ARRANGED LONGITUDINALLY OFSAID CLEANING SURFACE AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HOLES ADJACENT THEUPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID SURFACE, AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING WATERTO SAID HOLES FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID